Family Chapter 3
by Nonniepat
Summary: The Year is 1982. Keith Partridge has just returned from a long European Tour home for a special family celebration. His return will mark yet another change in the family. Neither Keith nor the family have any idea just what changes are coming or how the meaning of family will become even more important to all of them. Once again the Partridge Family. I do not own these characters


The Los Angeles Coliseum was steaming with activity. Roadies were busy hauling the equipment for the Keith Partridge Show in and out on large dollies. The marquee outside read KEITH PARTRIDGE appearing for ONE NIGHT ONLY. The other show was a venue in Los Angeles County for the next night, where Keith would be playing at a local fair. March in California was filled with such events and most performers made an appearance to at least one of them in the long summer season that started in March and didn't stop until almost November.

The artist in question was not in the arena but pacing his dressing room looking at the clock every few minutes. The time read 11:45 and he could not possibly imagine what was holding up Danny and Pam. He had called the apartment several times since arriving at the arena at ten after ten but only ever got the machine. He hated answering machines and today was no exception. He prayed that Danny was fine and on his way with Pam but the knot in the pit of his stomach kept telling him different.

A knock on his door brought a ray of hope to him that Danny was finally here but the single knock was Tony, his keyboard player, Keith noticed as he greeted the customary knock and called come in.

"Hey, Partridge, phone." Tony said, only sticking his head in the door.

"Danny?" Keith asked and Tony saw the worry on the singer's face.

"No, some chick." Tony said as Keith followed him to the office.

"Hello." Keith said picking up the receiver to his mother's voice. He covered the receiver with his hand.

"This CHICK is my mother, you idiot." Keith said angrily and saw Tony chuckle and wave as he turned to leave the office.

"Sorry, man." Tony mumbled leaving the singer to his call.

"Mom." Keith said as calmly as he could.

"Oh, Keith, thank God." Shirley said and Keith could tell by her voice something was wrong.

"Mom, what is it? The kids?" Keith asked, wondering what else he had to be concerned with now that he was closer to home.

"Is Danny with you?" Shirley asked and Keith panicked wondering how she knew.

"No, but he is probably on his way. His girlfriend was picking him up and bringing him here. He lent me his car." Keith said, trying to remain calm as the knot in his stomach tightened. He could not let on to his mother how worried he was or what he knew of Danny's poor health.

"Pam can't find him." Shirley said sternly into the phone and Keith panicked.

"What do you mean?" Keith asked suddenly unsure if his legs would hold him up. He leaned on the office desk for support.

"Pam called, in tears, Keith. She had been outside his apartment since 10:30. He won't answer. Keith when did you leave him?" Shirley asked.

"A little before ten. Calm down mom, I'm sure he is fine." Keith said, not so sure himself. He looked at his watch, 11:50 it read.

"Keith, please, you have to find him." Shirley pleaded.

"Mom calm down. Maybe he took a cab and will be here any minute." Keith reasoned.

"Keith, Pam said she was bringing him to you. She didn't have a way to reach you so she called me. Ruben is picking up the kids and we are leaving to come up there." Shirley rambled.

"Mom, relax, there is no need. I'm sure that he's just asleep or something. We were out kinda late last night." Keith lied, trying to find a way to calm his mother.

"Keith, Pam says he's been sick." Shirley said and heard Keith groan, he knew. She was angry now that her sons were keeping something from her.

"He was better this morning mom, or I would never have asked him to come rehearse with me." Keith stated truthfully.

"Rehearse with you. What are talking about?" Shirley asked.

"A surprise. Listen, you stay there, with Ruben AND the kids and I'll go home and call you when I find him. Please stay calm, I'm sure that he is fine." Keith tried to reassure her. He was not convinced but he couldn't panic her by abruptly hanging up on her.

"Keith, hurry, I have a bad feeling about this." Shirley said and Keith knew her instinct with her kids was real. But he refused to cause her pain until he had something to tell her.

"Mom, please. I'm sure he's okay. Maybe he took a cab and didn't want to wait for Pam or something." Keith reasoned.

"Keith, he loves Pam, he would never cancel on her. Hurry, please." Shirley said in a near panic.

"I'm on my way. YOU stay calm. I will call you and everything will be fine. Relax, promise me." Keith insisted.

"Keith, go. Stop wasting time trying to keep me calm, I WON'T be until I hear my son's voice, you know that. GO!" Shirley screamed into the receiver.

"Okay. Call you in a few." Keith said hanging up the phone. He ran from the office to his dressing room and picking up his guitar case and jacket turned to leave the room when he ran into his manager. He brushed past the man as the man started talking.

"We can't wait for Danny, Keith, we have to do this. Where are you going?" the manager asked and Keith turned to face him once he was in the hallway.

"Family emergency. The sound check is canceled. I'll let you know about the show." Keith said.

"Let me know about….sound check cancelled? Keith you can't do this. You can't leave. We have a sell out here buddy." The manager was saying as he followed Keith down the hall. Keith didn't stop this time but picked up his speed.

"Look, I have a family crisis here, man. I don't have time to go into this with you." Keith was saying as he pushed open the exit door to the parking lot where he parked the Trans.

"Family emergency? Family crisis? What is it about this place anyway? You've a career man and if we don't stay out in it you won't have one for long. Got me? Now get back in there before your FAMILY blows your stardom for you." The manager said and Keith turned on him.

"My family, you jerk, IS my CAREER and without them I wouldn't even BE A STAR. Now back off before I fire you. I'll call you when I know what's going on." Keith said tearing open the driver's door, throwing his baby on the passenger seat and climbing in behind the driver's seat.

"Come on man, when you gonna live your own life and stop TAKING CARE of your damn family." The manager said grabbing the driver door even as Keith grabbed it to close it. Keith met his gaze with fury in his eyes.

"When I'm dead. Now back off before I find me another manager." Keith spat at him and watched the man throw his arms in the air and back away from the door. Keith slammed it as he heard a string of curses from the manager. Keith ignored him knowing the man was only worried about all the money he could stand to loose. Keith was never in the business for the money for himself. The manager was right about one thing, Keith was taking care of his family and had been, proudly, since he was thirteen and his father died unexpectantly. He would let nothing stop him, not his career and stardom and certainly not the greed of his manager.

Keith flew into the apartment complex parking lot and pulled into the first place he could find. He turned off the engine, grabbed his guitar case from the passenger seat and exited the car. He ran to the entrance and the elevator, grateful no one was about. He got off the elevator on their floor and saw a sight that scared the heart out of him. In front of their door stood, what he knew, as a hysterical Pam. A short, small, brunette stood crying at the door. He heard her the closer he hurried to the door.

"Please, Danny, open the door. You're scaring me hon." Pam was crying against the door. She looked up to see the singer coming toward her and in fear ran to him and into his arms.

"Thank God, Keith. Why won't he answer me? I'm so scared." Pam cried against him.

"Ssh. It's okay, Pam. Come on." Keith said to the crying female. Women were always finding they're way to his arms but no one had ever cried in his arms over his brother before. If he weren't so terrified himself he would revel in the fact that Danny had a real winner in this girl.

He got out the key and unlocked the door. He called out to Danny as he threw the apartment key ring and the Trans keys on the counter and set his guitar case under the counter that separated the kitchen from the front hall. He never broke stride as he walked into the living room and turned left to his room, still calling out to Danny. Pam was too scared, he knew, and she remained at the front door. He turned at his bedroom door, not seeing him in there, and saw the clump of red hair on the bathroom floor. He ran into Danny's room.

"Pam, in here." Keith called out as he slowed as he approached the bathroom door. He was on his knees in seconds, not knowing whether or not Pam was behind him.

"Danny! Danny, man, speak to me. Wake up." Keith shouted with tears in his eyes. He never should have left. He went to move him and heard Pam behind him.

"Don't move him, Keith, the headaches, remember." Pam said from behind him. He heard her cry out, "Oh, god, Danny."

Very gently Keith felt the redhead's head to see if he hit anything. He found the rather large bump on the right side by his ear and Keith groaned. He knew this was from last night. He was in full -fledged panic now. This was all his fault.

"See…see….if he's. oh god, still…." Pam cried, unable to say the words.

Keith knew what she meant and putting a hand on his chest breathed a sigh as he noticed his brother was still alive. 'Now to keep him that way', Keith thought standing. He turned and found Pam right behind.

"Stay with him." Keith called and watched her go down on her knees at his brother's head talking to him, trying to get him to awaken. Keith ran into the main part of the apartment and grabbed the phone.

"911." Came the operator's voice after he dialed.

"Yes, I need an ambulance. My brother has collapsed, he's unconscious." Keith breathed into the phone.

"Address sir." The lady responded. Keith's mind went blank. He knew where he was but the address. He searched the counter frantically for something. 'Oh, god, Danny, what's the address', he thought as he rummaged through the papers. At last an unopened bill, from the electric company came into his hands. He told the woman the address.

"Okay, sir. The ambulance is on the way. When did he collapse?" she asked.

"I….don't know. An hour, maybe two." Keith said frantically.

"Has he been unconscious all this time?" the operator asked.

"Yes, no, I don't know. I just got back here." Keith said looking in the direction of the bathroom. He maneuvered himself and the phone until he could see Pam, still leaning over his brother, talking to him.

"How long were you gone, sir?" the operator asked.

"I left….a little before ten." Keith answered through the fog in his brain.

"His name sir." The operator stated.

"What?" Keith asked thinking he heard Danny stir.

"The name." The operator reiterated again.

"His or mine?" Keith asked, not thinking straight himself.

"Both, his first." The operator stated.

"Partridge, Daniel Partridge." Keith replied.

"Is this Chris or Keith?" the lady asked next and it surprised Keith.

"Why?" Keith asked unsure of what to say.

"Please, Mr. Partridge, I know your family, at least your music. Is this Keith? It's okay. Right now we are only interested in getting Daniel the help he needs." The woman said and Keith realized this was an older lady.

"Ah….Keith." Keith finally said, wanting to get in to Danny and hoping he was not going to have to answer questions about himself, or the family's musical career.

"Mr. Partridge, listen the ambulance will be there shortly. Do you want me to stay on the line until they get there?" the woman asked and Keith let out the breath he was holding.

"Ah…..no, I have to call my mother and sister. Thank you." Keith said relieved this was business only with the operator. He had learned quickly that he could never be sure of anything.

"Very good. Don't worry only the ambulance and hospital personnel will know of your call. If they don't arrive in a few minutes call back, all right?" the woman stated.

"Yes, thank you." Keith said hanging up. He took several deep breaths, then dialed again. He waited for the receptionist to finish her speech.

"Laura Partridge, please." Keith stated.

"She is in a meeting and cannot be disturbed. May I take a message?" the woman asked.

"No, get her now. This is her brother. This is an emergency." Keith said and was greeted by silence.

"Is this Keith?" the girl asked and he groaned, 'not again', he thought.

"Yes, please hurry this is a matter of life and death." Keith stated.

"I….ah….see what I can do. Hold on." The woman said and Keith picked up the phone and walked in Danny's room as far as the cord would let him.

"How is he?" Keith asked to Pam. She turned around and he saw her shake her head as new tears started.

"Hang on, Pam. Don't fall apart on me. Ambulance is on its way. Can you go out and wait for it?" Keith asked.

"I don't want to leave him." Pam said through her tears.

"I know. It won't be for long. I can't go out there without being recognized and when anyone sees the ambulance pull up, well, it won't help Danny any." Keith reasoned. After a minute Pam nodded, placed a kiss on Danny's forehead and did as Keith asked. He patted her shoulder as she pasted him.

"Take care of him." Pam whispered.

"You bet." Keith said, happy for Danny she cared so much. 'Danny', he thought looking at his brother and wondering where the damn ambulance was. He also wondered what was taking so long.

At the law office, Bonnie was trying to get Laurie's attention through the large glass windows in the conference room. Finally catching her eye she motioned for her and a second later a very annoyed Laurie Partridge emerged from the room.

"What is it? Steve will kill me?" Laurie asked, her eyes darting to the figure in the other room who controlled her days and nights.

"Keith is on the phone. Laurie he sounded frantic. Said it was an emergency, life and death." Bonnie got out before Laurie exploded in front of her.

"Oh, god, Danny." Laurie said in a panic and ran for the phone.

"Hello." Laurie's voice finally came on the line.

"Laur, Keith. Listen you gotta get out of there. Danny has collapsed on the bathroom floor. The ambulance is on the way. How fast can you get to the hospital?" Keith asked.

"Oh, god, Keith, is he…?" Laurie left the question unanswered.

"Alive, and I intend for him to stay that way. Hurry, Laur. This is serious." Keith stated.

"Mom." Laurie said softly.

"I'll take care of it. I already talked to her this morning. Ruben was getting the kids from school and they were on their way up. I need to get to Ruben before they leave." Keith stated.

"Mom and her intuition." Laurie commented.

"Hmm, yes, well let's pray that he's alright BEFORE she gets here." Keith stated.

"Amen, big brother. Be outta here shortly." Laurie said.

"See you at the hospital, and Laurie let's keep this under wraps, okay, the family doesn't need this kind of publicity." Keith said.

"Nor you big brother, I'm on my way." Laurie said hanging up then breathing deeply. She straightened her shoulders and prepared for the ensuing battle about to come when she told Steve she had to go to the family. Steve was growing to hating her family, especially, Keith, more each day. He would not be happy with this turn of events. Not happy at all. Too bad, she thought squaring her shoulders. At least, she thought, he would not overreact too much with others around.

Back at the apartment, Keith was dialing the phone again, keeping one eye on Danny and willing the ambulance to arrive.

"Hello." It was Chris.

"Chris, Keith, don't let on it's me. Where is mom?" Keith asked.

"Upstairs. You okay?" Chris asked, hearing the panic in his brother's voice.

"No. Is Ruben there?" Keith asked.

"Yeah. What's wrong?" Chris asked as Ruben walked closer to the phone. The faithful manager had a feeling who was on the phone.

"Listen, Chris, just put Ruben on. We'll talk later, promise." Keith said.

"Yeah sure. Here." Chris handed the phone to Ruben.

"Keith." Ruben said into the phone as he saw Tracy descend the stairs in her tight jeans and tube top. He sighed, Shirley did not need THIS right now.

"Ruben, I don't want to panic mom, but I found Danny." Keith said quietly.

"Yeah." Ruben said, not liking the way Keith said that. He pictured his forty- year old redhead, as he affectionately called him, in his mind.

"Yeah, the ambulance is on the way. I found him unconscious on the bathroom floor." Keith said hurriedly thinking he heard a siren.

"Oh, god." Ruben groaned. Hearing Tracy ask Chris what was wrong from behind him.

"How fast can you get mom and the kids here, Ruben? I don't like this." Keith said.

"I understand, fast as I can. I'll call in an old favor, should only be a few minutes." Ruben stated.

"Don't scare mom or the kids, Ruben, this is serious. I'm sure the press will be aware of it soon too so keep the TV off and the radio until you get them here." Keith stated.

"Got it. Anything else I can do, kid?" Ruben asked and Keith heard the concern for the whole family in his voice. 'Good ole Ruben', Keith thought, 'The guy really did see them as his kids'.

"Yeah, pray. Hard. I can't loose him, Ruben. I won't." Keith cried into the phone, letting his guard down with his long time friend and surrogate father.

"We won't. Hang in there. I'll take care of things from this end." Ruben said seeing Shirley descend the stairs.

"Gotta go, kid. Be there soon. Here comes your mom." Ruben stated.

"Oh, god, Ruben. Be careful how and WHAT you tell her." Keith stated.

"I'll handle everything. Don't worry about here. Take care of there. See ya soon." Ruben said then hung up the phone to face the single mother of five who had been apart of his life so long now, with her children. They were the only family he knew or cared about. Shirley looked up at him as she descended the last step and knowing she could read him like a book knew the instant the fear came into her eyes.

"Who was that?" Shirley asked seeing only Ruben in the room and the look in his eyes.

"Shirley, have a seat." Ruben said and Tracy made a move to her mother.

"Danny?" Shirley breathed but remained standing.

"Shirley, please." Ruben said gesturing toward the piano bench, which was the closet to her. Reluctantly she sat down. Now Chris stood by his mother as well.

"Keith found him Shirley. Now stay calm." Ruben cautioned seeing her face go pale.

"Stay calm! Tell me Ruben. What do you mean he FOUND Danny?" Shirley asked standing. Both Chris and Tracy took each of her arms.

"Keith found him on the floor of the bathroom at the apartment, unconscious, Shir." Ruben stated and this time Shirley sat back down on the bench herself. She actually sank back down as Tracy started crying and Chris put an arm around his mother's shoulder.

"Oh, god, Danny. Take me to Danny." Shirley said after a moment of recovering from the shock. She stood and both of her younger kids pushed her gently back down.

"I'm arranging that. The important thing is to stay calm." Ruben was saying as he walked back to the phone. Shirley was on his heels.

"Why is he unconscious, Ruben?" Shirley asked as Chris and Tracy followed their mother.

"The ambulance is on the way, Shir. Please sit down until I get us some assistance in getting there quicker than my old car or yours can take us." Ruben said.

"Yes, mom, please sit down, before you fall down." Tracy was saying as Chris tried to maneuver her to the couch. She shrugged off both kids in a burst of renewed energy.

"Tracy go pack, we will be staying in L.A. until Danny is well. Chris get some things together yourself. And Tracy for godsake change your clothes before Keith sees you. My daughter half dressed and indecent." Shirley rambled.

"Mom…" Tracy protested. Shirley turned on her with fire in her eyes.

"Go. Pack. Both of you. I need time to think." Shirley said as Ruben dialed the phone.

"I'm here Shir, it's gonna be okay." Ruben said and the sound of his voice dissolved Shirley in tears and into the manager's arms. The two young Partridges bounded up the stairs and didn't see the exchange between Ruben and their mother. Ruben placed a kiss on her blonde hair as the other end of the line picked up.

"Yes, Captain Robinson, please, Ruben Kincaid. Tell him it's urgent." Ruben was saying.

"The police?" Shirley questioned in his arms.

"He owes me. He can fly us to L.A. in a matter of minutes." Ruben said to her than into the phone.

"Ron, Ruben. Listen, I need a favor. A BIG one." Ruben began as Shirley walked away to go pack a bag for herself. She was so thankful that Ruben was still apart of their lives. He was here and she felt as safe as if the kids father was here. She drug herself up the stairs and put a few things in a bag. Her thoughts were on her middle son and her eldest. Keith took his role as head of the family seriously and she would want no one else at Danny's side now but him. But she was also worried about how Keith was holding up. Her number one son may be rock star extraordinaire but when it came to his emotions he was more often a little boy. He took his place in the family very seriously and very emotionally. She could only imagine the state HE was in, worrying and scared over his brother. The five of them had given her more than her share with their constant bickering and teasing growing up but she knew for a fact that each of them, especially Keith, would do anything for the other; especially take their pain. Keith was, she knew, a basket case right now but trying to hold it together to do what he knew he had to do to get Danny help. She refused to think of how this would turn out other than full recovery from whatever it was those two had been keeping from her about Danny's health. Once he was fully recovered, look out both of them, Shirley Partridge would lock them in a room until she got a few things off her mind about them keeping secrets from their mother. Secrets they both knew she hated having kept from her. She joined her younger two in the living room with Ruben and prepared to go to L.A. and get them all through this latest crisis.

In the apartment Keith was rapidly becoming the basket case that Shirley feared as he hung up the phone and went to his brother, in tears.

"Danny, come on Danny, wake up. Come back to me, man. Don't do this to me." Keith said placing his hand on Danny's chest again to hear the shallow breaths but still breathing. He lost it then as he sat back on his heels.

"Pop! Pop! Don't let him leave me, us. Bring him back to me, please." Keith cried and heard a voice in his ear. He hadn't heard it in a long, long time.

"I'm here son. Everything's gonna be all right." Keith heard the voice of his father say in his ear.

"Pop, please, we can't lose him too. I can't." Keith cried, wiping the bang of red hair that fell down Danny's forehead.

"Relax, Keithie, it'll be okay." Came the voice again and then Keith heard Pam call from the living room that the paramedics were here.

Keith staggered to his feet as the two men, who stood at least two feet taller than him, maneuvered their way into the small bathroom with their equipment to get to his brother.

"Mr. Partridge, what happened?" one man asked as Keith saw the other hook up an IV in Danny's arm and listen to his heart and breathing through a stethoscope.

"I left a little before ten. He was to meet me at rehearsal but never showed. I came back at noon and found him like this." Keith said watching the men work.

"How long has be been out?" the man asked.

"Don't know." Keith said with a sigh.

"Help him." Keith barked.

"We will, Mr. Partridge, calm down. He was here alone all this time?" the man asked. Keith turned as Pam answered.

"I was here to pick him up at 10:30 but he never answered the door. I called from downstairs but only got the machine. I didn't know how to reach Keith so I called his mother to reach him. Then Keith got here at noon and called you guys." Pam said and Keith put an arm around her.

"He been ill, recently and what's this bump on the right side of his head?" the man asked, as the other one took Danny's blood pressure.

"Yes." Both Keith and Pam said at the same time.

"He must've got the bump last night in the accident." Keith said sadly, kicking himself for not taking Danny to the hospital then.

"Accident?" the man asked.

"Yes, we got sideswiped. He said he was okay." Keith said.

"Car totaled?" the man asked. Keith frowned.

"No, just the fender. The other guy fled." Keith said.

"I see. Was he ill before that?" The man asked. Again both Keith and Pam answered yes and Keith looked at Pam.

"He's been have migraine headaches, at least that's what his doctor said." Pam began.

"How long ago?" the man asked her.

"Two weeks ago. The doctor gave him a prescription but it never worked. He can't eat, been throwing up, dizzy spells." Pam went on and Keith stared at her. She knew all this and Danny didn't tell HIM.

"Has he ever passed out before?" the man asked.

"No, not that I know of. Why?" Pam asked.

"Miss we need to know everything you know, to help him. Where's the prescription?" the man asked and Pam left Keith to go get it.

"Mr. Partridge did you know any of this?" the man asked Keith.

"I just got in from London yesterday. I knew about the headaches but that's all. I didn't even know he hit his head until now. Help him please." Keith said in a panic at all the new information about his brother's current state of health.

"We're doing everything we can. Jim I'll get the stretcher, you call ahead." The man said then left. Pam returned then with the bottle of painkillers and handed it to the guy the other one called Jim. Keith listened as Jim called someone and read off Danny's blood pressure, heart rate and respiration, the name of the painkillers. He stood there helpless as the man continued to work on his brother. He came out of his fog as he heard the man describing his brother.

"White male, around twenty-five…..

"Twenty-two." Keith corrected and the man made the correction just as the other one came in with the stretcher. Keith cringed, he hated ambulances and hospitals worse than Danny did. Keith had been in and out of them so much over the years that he had a real fear of them. But for some reason he found himself wishing this was him they were about to take out of here and not Danny.

"This should be me, not him." Keith said and felt Pam take his arm as they gently laid his brother on the stretcher.

"Don't say that Keith. Danny wouldn't want that If this WAS you he'd want it to be him, you know that." Pam said and Keith smiled at her. She was just a little shorter than him and that was not saying much. At five foot six he had always been small. But he felt even smaller as he knew this should not be happening and if he had been here it wouldn't have. He loved his music but hated being away from the family. He meant what he said. He really believed that it should have been him lying there and not Danny, not any of his family.

"We're taking him to L.A. General. You can follow." The man who had been asking the questions spoke up as they wheeled Danny past them through the apartment.

"No, I'm riding with him." Keith said then looked at Pam.

"Go ahead. I'll drive myself." Pam spoke up, wanting to be with Danny but knowing that would be Keith's place.

"You gonna be all right?" Keith asked. Pam nodded.

"Yeah. I'll see you there. I'll lock up here and bring you the keys." Pam offered and Keith nodded. He started to follow the stretcher and felt her touch his arm. He turned.

"Take care of him." Pam whispered in tears. He hugged her and smiled.

"You bet." Keith said and followed the paramedics. He didn't bring his guitar case this time.

Outside a small crowd was gathered and he heard his name being called but ignored them as he climbed into the ambulance after the one paramedic. The other went to the driver's side. He sat down where the guy he now knew as Russ gestured and took Danny's hand. They hadn't even left the parking lot when Danny started convulsing, sending Keith into a panic. After Russ scolded Keith he got his assistance in calming his patient down and injected something into Danny's IV. The seizure lasted for another few seconds then Danny became still, too still. Russ told Keith to relax but Keith was way beyond the ability to relax. He was scared to death that he was losing his brother right before his very eyes. He had no idea how he would face Shirley with all this that was happening.


End file.
